Colorado LINKS for Mental Health Initiative
Client
Colorado LINKS for Mental Health Initiative
Funder
The primary funders for LINKS are the Colorado Health Foundation and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Matching funds for specific project components have been donated by the Prevention Leadership Council; the Division of Behavioral Health of the Colorado Department of Human Services; the Child, Adolescent and School Health Unit and the Interagency Prevention Systems, Prevention Services Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; the Exceptional Student Services Unit of the Colorado Department of Education; Tony Grampsas Youth Services; the State Judicial MacArthur Grant, the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Council; and the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Stakeholders
LINKS is overseen by the LINKS Grant Implementation Group (GIG), which is composed of representatives of education, human services, behavioral health, child welfare, juvenile justice, family advocacy, and other key stakeholder groups. LINKS Partner Agencies include:
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Colorado Department of Human Services
- Colorado Department of Education
- Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
- Colorado Department of Public Safety
- Colorado Association of Alcohol and Drug Service Providers
- Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council
- Colorado Child and Adolescent Mental Health Coalition
- Colorado System of Care Collaborative
- Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health ~ Colorado Chapter
- Mental Health America of Colorado
- Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council
- Prevention Leadership Council
- Center for Systems Integration
Description
LINKS Mission: To promote partnerships among state agencies and key stakeholder groups by weaving together existing efforts to create a more coordinated continuum of mental health services for Colorado children, youth, and families.
LINKS is unique in the history of behavioral health system reform in Colorado because it fully engages communities, youth and families – not only in developing the plan for reform, but in playing leadership roles in implementation and long-term activities within the system. It is not state government doing “business as usual,” but rather it is those affected the most by state government becoming active participants in opportunities to improve and enhance the current and future system.
LINKS has three Priority Areas: to integrate existing behavioral health efforts at the state and local level; to engage family and youth involvement in policymaking; and to streamline and integrate budgets, funding, & finance.
Products
- Guidebook to Interagency Planning Efforts Addressing Kids Behavioral Health
- Family and Youth Involvement: A Workbook for Policy and Governance Boards
- White Paper: Cross-System Financing Strategies
- Repository for Systems Transformation Website
- More LINKS Products are available on the LINKS Website
External Links
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Colorado Department of Human Services
- Colorado Department of Education
- Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
- Colorado Department of Public Safety
- Colorado Association of Alcohol and Drug Service Providers
- Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council
- Colorado Child and Adolescent Mental Health Coalition
- Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health ~ Colorado Chapter
- Mental Health America of Colorado
- Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council
- Prevention Leadership Council
- Center for Systems Integration
- Colorado Foundation for Public Health and the Environment
